Tables with tiltable tops have been known in the past. There have been problems with such tiltable tops, particularly when the top was wide, and rigidly holding the top in a tilted position. A wide top would often twist and flex under a weight load that was not accurately centered on the table. Such twisting might occur in a veterinary table when an animal was shifted from side to side on the table.
In wide tilt-top tables, such as a drafting table as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 520,630, it was common practice to use an adjustable tilt rod on each side of the table. This was burdensome in that the operator had to separately adjust two rods on opposite sides of the table. It was difficult to coordinate the height of both rods, particularly if the table top was of a very light construction.
Another approach to tiltable table tops was to include a single centrally located tilt rod that did not require movement to opposite sides of the table to adjust. To prevent twisting of the table top, the tops were made extremely rigid and of a heavy construction. This made the table very heavy and difficult to move and also made the top construction expensive.